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Jun 23, 2017, 06:00am

Use Wisdom And Caution When Deciding Whether To Address Social Issues In Ads

Both Pepsi and Heineken recently addressed social or political issues in their advertising, generating mixed results. Pepsi ended up pulling its ad featuring Kendall Jenner after online protests accused it of being tone deaf. Heineken's ad, which featured three pairs of people with strongly different viewpoints working together and discussing their outlooks over a beer, has drawn praise.

While both ads have generated public interest and discussion, there are a number of serious questions that companies will want to ask themselves before jumping into this particular arena: How do they know whether a particular message will resonate with the people that they are trying to reach? What makes a particular ad authentic versus one that could appear opportunistic? What approach works better when addressing topics? When is it better to be neutral and avoid addressing particular issues?

Below, a handful of Forbes Agency Council members share their views on taking appropriate and authentic approaches to social or political topics.

If you're going to weigh in, do so thoughtfully and authentically.All photos courtesy of individual Forbes Agency Council members.

1. Look To The Brand's Purpose

Any brand behavior should ultimately ladder up to the brand's purpose. Depending on what that is, a brand may or may not have permission to insert itself in such conversation. If social issues are an important tenet of the brand's purpose, then the brand may have more latitude — and even be expected — to part take in the conversation. If not, it can be seen as both opportunistic and off-brand. - Verena Thompson, Conill

2. Test Your Message

Every attempt to comment on a political topic via marketing should be tested and then tested again. Share the approach with various test groups. In order to get the most authentic feedback, these people should have no relation to you and they need to be diverse in more ways than just gender and race. Consider age, occupation, hometown and education. Be open to the feedback and adjust. - Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design

3. Always Be Sincere

Treat social and political topics with care. When commenting in your social media, marketing or advertising, always be sincere about the issue. Do not make an attempt to add humor to a serious situation. Focus your marketing efforts on strategies that will bring awareness, and inspire the audience to take action. - Bernadette Coleman, Advice Local

While we generally recommend staying away from political issues on social media, if a company or individual feels strongly about being part of the conversation, we recommend sharing an article on the topic and asking for feedback from followers and fans in a very neutral manner. This approach allows the company to facilitate the conversation without providing their opinion. - Laura Cole, The Berry Company LLC

5. Opine, But Do So With Purpose

It's OK to weigh in on issues that help others understand who you are as not only a professional but as a concerned citizen. Don't, however, vent online without regard for the consequences. Think about your company culture, the types of clients you serve and how you want to be perceived over time. Make strategic decisions in advance so that logic, not emotions, are guiding the PR plan. - Marie Swift, Impact Communications, Inc.

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Find out if you qualify at forbesagencycouncil.com/qualify. Questions about an article? Email feedback@fo...